Hair!! To cut or not to cut?? Oy! What a question!!!

Yep! You guessed it. I am trying to decide whether to cut my hair.

(BY THE WAY.... NONE of these pics are ME! I just used them as examples...just wanted to mention it...back to our blog!)

I haven't really "changed" my hairstlye in ....well, apparently quite some time.
For those who do not know...and that would be most folks...I have "locs".
You know..some folks call them "dreads" or "dreadlocks" but really!
Is it just me? Or do those names sound really negative?
Dreads???
Anyway, I have had locs for maybe 10 years...can't remember.... and the most I have ever done to them is to cut them last winter.
They used to be down my back and now they are kinda, almost shoulder length.
Well, you have to see it.
Anyhoo, I am thinking of getting rid of the locs and going back to "twisting" my hair which is similar to locs but not as permanent.
For those not familiar with locs, the only way to get rid of them is to cut them off.
There is really no "un" locking them. So, usually that means your hair will be a mite short for awhile.
Back in the day...that would be in my late 20's early 30's I would just say..."What the hey! It's only hair. It will grow back."
But it would seem that in my 40's I have grown a little more cautious.
Sigh!!...does this mean I'm getting old???
I have some pics (you may have noticed) of women with short "natural" hair.
Natural meaning not relaxed, permed or staightened. I have nothing against any of those processes....I just don't want to do them.
Some of these pics are causing me to "flashback" to the 70's.


Hmmm...just realized I don't really have any pics of "older" women..ie 40's and above...with short natural styles.
I will have to go look.
Okay...found a few!
So, I'm thinking of doing this ....cutting my hair...this weeek.
So y'all need to opine FAST!!!!
I have included the pic of the lady with the lovely grey twists and the pic of the group Sweet Honey in the Rock, just to give you an idea of all of the natural styles out there. And cause I felt like it!
Love, Laughter, Peace and Blessings y'all!!

Shoot! Okay, since I used their pic, I figured I would end with a song from Sweet Honey. You might notice that the members are different in this vid but the music is always great. Enjoy!

Postscript......I DID IT!!! Yep! I cut my hair. It's actually not all that short but it is short enough. Presently, I am twisting it and trying to let it get a breather.
We will see what happens next!!!

My Favorite Relationship Song

Alright, I exaggerate, it is "one" of my fave relationship songs.
But I swear every time I hear it, I think, "Yep, that describes many a relationship, mine and others."
The standard "can't live with them, can't live without them" syndrome.

Oops! I realize I have yet to name the song.
It is "I Hate You Then I Love You". I still haven't found out who wrote this song but I know that it was around in the mid "80's because there is a youtube of Julio Iglesia and Dionne Warwick singing it. I have to say that I prefer the version sung by Celine Dion and Luciano Pavarotti.

After I put this first vid up, I noticed that someone had set scenes from Pride and Prejudice to this song and I thought, "Oh my god! This is the perfect song for that story!"

In case you don't know, and why would you, I absolutely LOVE that book!
I have read it countless times and have read the contemporary continuations of the story. Some of them are darned good!

I hope you enjoy the song and the vids! And please do watch the Pride and Prejudice vid. It is fab!
PSSSSST!!! The words to the song are to the left in a cute little scrolling box.

Celine Dion & Pavarotti - I Hate You Then I Love You



Pride & Prejudice ♥ I Hate You then I Love You

Coffeee....Mornings.......Why??

more cat



more cat pictures


more cat pictures

Words of Wisdom (wish I had said that)

(this pic is a mandala called Wisdom Pearl by Richard A. Waters )


"Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em, 'certainly I can!' - and get busy and find out how to do it."
Theodore Roosevelt, 1858-1919, Twenty-Sixth U.S. President

"Obstacles can't stop you. Problems can't stop you. Most of all, other people can't stop you. Only you can stop you."
Jeffrey Gitomer, Author and Sales Trainer

"I live by this credo: Have a little laugh at life and look around you for happiness instead of sadness. Laughter has always brought me out of unhappy situations. Even in your darkest moment, you usually can find something to laugh about if you try hard enough."
Red Skelton, 1913-1997, Comedian

Today I Will Make A Difference

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of their thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It's OK to stumble - I will get up. It's OK to fail - I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

Max Lucado
From On The Anvil

"Living consciously involves being genuine; it involves listening and responding to others honestly and openly; it involves being in the moment."
Sidney Poitier, Actor and Author of The Measure of a Man

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think."
Benjamin Disraeli

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."
Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790, Scientist, Publisher and Diplomat


"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1895, Essayist, Poet and Novelist

"You are, at this moment, standing, right in the middle of your own 'acres of diamonds.'"
Earl Nightingale, 1921-1989, Syndicated Radio Announcer and Author

"The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what the man or woman is able to do that counts."
Booker T. Washington, 1856-1915, Educator and Reformer

"Our self image and our habits tend to go together. Change one and you will automatically change the other."
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, 1899-1975, Author

"My father used to say to me, 'Whenever you get into a jam, whenever you get into a crisis or an emergency...become the calmest person in the room and you'll be able to figure your way out of it.'"
Rudolph Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City

The Last Lecture..."Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"

Many of you may have seen this lecture long before I did.
But for those who haven't or if it has been awhile please watch it again.
It is obviously very popular judging by the 4,221,441 hits it has had on Youtube.
I loved what Randy Pausch had to say.
It may not be new (yes, others have said the same or something similar) but it never hurts to hear these things again.

Randy Pausch died yesterday, July 25, 2008, and he has obviously left a wonderful legacy.
Here are some of the things that he said that hit me when I watched this vid.

"Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."

"The Brick Walls are not there to keep us out. The Brick Walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

"Get a feedback loop and listen to it."

"Show gratitude."

"Be good at something. It makes you valuable."

"Find the best in everybody; no matter how long you have to wait for them to show it."

"Be prepared: "Luck" is where preparation meets opportunity."

"What am I doing to Enable the childhood dreams of others?"

Please enjoy this vid!

Life is like......

Be......

We all have to BE something....some of us just can't decide what that something is.

Personally, I think I have tried most of these.






(yes, I have noted that the maker of this graphic can't spell...I apologize for the typos but it's still a good poem or whatever)


IN the end all you can do is be yourself......well, that's a lie.

You could do something else.
You could keep trying to be something you're not.
Or you could continue to be what others want you to be or what others think you should be.

Personally, I find that to be really tiresome.

Easier to BE YOURSELF...once you figure out who that is.

Peace, Love, Laughter and Blessings y'all!
La

Sexy Mature Movie Men!

Okay....so my sis and I were talking about sexy older men in the movies (no...we weren't at or in the movies).
I will qualify it by saying men WE think are sexy. You may not agree and that's cool.
This all started cause we were just yapping away and I mentioned my fave guy and we were off!
The thing about all of these guys is that they have aged or are aging pretty damn well. Some of them look a lot better now than they did when they started acting.

Most lists do the top 10 but we decided on a Baker's Dozen. That's 12 plus an extra for good luck.

The first one we agreed on was....be still my heart...Sam Elliot! (fans herself vigorously)
Hell I could just listen to the man talk and get a fit of the vapors!
And I watch Roadhouse just so I can see Sam...I cry everytime he dies...like I don't know it's coming. Yes, I know it's sad but what can I say.
Yeah, yeah..this isn't his most recent pic but I like this one.




Then of course we thought of ....sigh....Sean Connery. Lawdy, lawdy Miss Claudie! He starts talking and the room gets warmer. I love is James Bond days (what..you think I watch those movies over and over again for the superb acting..as if!) but I have to say the man is still waaaay sexy!




Speaking of hot...can we say Antonio Banderas? Yes we can! Mama can I have one'na dem?

Adrian Paul was next on the list. Some of y'all may not know Adrian. I really don't watch many movies so I first saw him in the Highlander tv series. Yummy!







Will Smith just made the cut because he will be 40 in September and my sister was having a hissy fit cause I said he was too young. Not that I don't like Will cause I do but we have to have some rules here.





Next up is Richard Gere. What can you say? Pretty Woman, Officer and A Gentleman...ummmm...Chicago, Runaway Bride (i liked it) and lots of other stuff the man is just sexy.






I admit that Patrick Swayze hit this list mainly because of Roadhouse. I love that movie. My roomie totally disagrees but it's my damn list...so there! Ooooo...I just remembered Ghost and how could I forget...Dirty Dancing! "Nobody puts Baby in the corner!"



Ooooo....George Clooney! Oh Brother Where Art Thou! (loved it)....all those Oceans movies and who can forget E.R. The man is total eye candy (as are they all).






Die Hard...1, 2....12.whatever.....Bruce Willis is flippin' sexy. Yeah, he's done other stuff but I told ya I don't get out much.






Harrison Ford.....two words Indiana Jones. Yep, love those movies.Although I must confess that when I heard he was filming a new one I was shocked. And then there is ....shoot..what's that president movie...Air Force One. I also liked him in Witness and....ooops almost forgot the Clear and Present Danger movies (actually I completely forgot it, my sis remembered).



Mmmm...Martin Sheen!Sexy, sexy, sexy! Let's see there's that tv show West Wing but before that....well...all kinds of movies Apocalypse Now, Gettysburg, The American President (OMG! Love that movie...and Michael Douglas should be on here just for his part in that movie!) Oh yes! And Martin gets big bonus points for having those sexy, sexy sons...whew!


Now some folks will not be into Morgan Freeman being on the sexy list. But really the man is FAB!!! And he is over 70, the man is looking dang good!Check him out in Lean On Me, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Outbreak (LOVE that movie), Along Came A Spider...the list goes on.



Cary Grant...so my sis said "No dead guys!" but I insisted cause I love Cary Grant movies. So we agreed to include Cary as an honorable. LOVED him in so many movies...The Philidelphia Story, His Girl Friday, The Bishop's Wife, To Catch a Thief and of course the big one An Affair to Remember! (HUGE dramatic sigh!)







Now of course there can be more men on here. I mean I left out Kevin Costner, Micheal Douglas, Keanu Reeves(oooo matrix), Charlie Sheen, Sylvester Stallone(my sister made me add him although now that she has mentioned him I loved him with Swayze in Tango and Cash)...the list goes on.

Feel free to let me know who you would add to the list.

Love, Laughter, Peace and Blessings y'all!
La

People......

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Procrastinationism........

Hmmm...that is a word, right?
I know procrastinate is a word. I ought to.
Seeing as I am a world class procrastinator.
Yep, I am sure I could at least place if there was a world championship.

For those who do not know this, and why would you, I am moving.
Yep, leaving good old Alaska for, hopefully, good old Arizona. I must be nuts!

I am, of course, still packing.
I have known about this move since, ohhh, January???
I only have a few weeks left.
You wouldn't think it would be that hard or take that long. I don't own that much stuff. When I moved up here, I got rid of tons of stuff.
If I was taking everything it would be easier but I am not....soooo I have to sort through.
Get rid of books, clothes, random stuff I seem to collect. Maybe I should just pack up every few months. That would help to cut down on my accumulation of stuff.

But I NEED some of this stuff.
Who can live without more storytelling and music reference books?
And, hey, I work with kids...I NEED these puppets...really.
And the jewelrymaking stuff..well a girl has to have a hobby to keep herself off the streets, right?

I am NOT going to do what I usually do. Which would be come down to the wire, about a week before I have to go and then LOSE MY MIND!!!
Nope, not gonna happen this time.

I am NOT writing this instead of packing....nope, not me.

Funny vid, I have done at least 5 of these things today instead of packing.


George is soooo funny and soooo on target.


Hey, I am going to pack now....really!

Love, Laughter, Peace, Blessings and STUFF!
La

The House Test

Some of us can not resist temptation.
So, I saw this "test" on another blog and just had to try it out.
Why? Because it was there. Duh!!!
You answer 10 questions and then they generate this info.
Go on....read my results and then try it.

What the House Test Says About You

You are happy with who you are, and you don't have an inflated sense of self importance. You do your own thing quietly. You don't take up a lot of space. You aren't against being community oriented, but it's not really your thing. You tend to prefer to focus on your family and not the neighborhood around you. You are a calm, contemplative, and smart person. You take ideas very seriously. Your looks aren't conventionally attractive, but they're definitely unique. And someone, somewhere, finds that hot. You are moved by what's exotic and unique. You often have the mentality of a traveler, even when you're not traveling.

The House Test

My Opinion of their "results"....Not Bad.
But.....in that second one it said I like to focus on my "family" but...um..I live alone, usually. I suppose they could mean my extended family...well whatever.

And that fourth one says I am not "conventionally attractive"...Hey!...did they just call me "funny looking" ?

Hmmmm....take the test and tell me what you think of your results!

George Carlin....some of his Stuff

I loved George Carlin.....actually I still love George Carlin.
His comedy is/was irreverent and damned funny.
And most often totally on target. George said stuff that we often thought.
A lot of his bits will most definitely live on.
I have put up some of my fave bits by him.
His "Stuff" routine cracks me up and also his "Parkway/Driveway" routine.
Classic stuff. We'll miss you George!

* Ooops! Almost forgot. Did you know that George Carlin did the narration for the Thomas the Tank Engine Children's Series for a couple of seasons? Yep, and a marvelous job he did!

Exercising in Bed....No Not That!! ...Jeeeeze

Okay, Peeps get your minds out of the gutter!(or maybe it's my mind)

For those of you who don't now what "that" is....I am talking about or rather "not" talking about "the horizontal mambo", "shagging", "getting lucky", "nookie", "knockin' boots", "a roll in the hay", "making whoopie", "doin' the hoodileehoo" (that one is probably only used by myself and a girlfriend), "making love" or what is more commonly called sex.
Ha! for someone who says she is not talking about sex, I sure have talked about it a lot. Okay....moving on.

Now...what I started out talking about, before I got sidetracked, is actually exercising in bed. You know, leg lifts, crunches, stretches, etc.
I have always, well since my 20's or so, done exercise in bed either right before I go to sleep, usually in an attempt to encourage sleep or when I wake up...that's when I do the most stretches.
So, my point, I do have one.....ummmm...oh yes....I started to wonder last night how many others regularly exercised in bed.
I had a vague memory of a book on doing yoga in bed. So I googled this A.M. and found it.
Yoga in Bed by Edward Vilga...I think I owned a copy of this once or maybe just thumbed through it, anyway it looks good and reminds me of what I try to do with my bedtime exercise.
I even found a youtube about Yoga in Bed (of course I did...ya have to love youtube..oops, it's not youtube).

Yoga In Bed - Click here for the most popular videos

Further googling led me to Bed Top Yoga by Carol Dickman, another book I'll have to check out.

Of course, being the Googleholic that I am, I had to keep googling and I found ,OMG, lots of stuff on exercising in bed. Should have known it wasn't an original thought.

I found an article that says that Exercise in Bed Improves Sleep and Fitness .
Here's a quote from that article:

Tartell says, "No matter what your age or physical condition you can benefit from exercising in bed at any hour, whether it's morning, afternoon and even when you awake in the middle of the night, often with those seemingly uncontrollable, nagging thoughts."
Dr. Tartell says that kind of repetitive thinking, which keeps many people awake late into the night, has been shown to dissipate after doing the "Get Fit In Bed" exercises, and is often followed by a return to normal sleep.

Yep, I can totally understand that. I often find my mind going all over the place when I try to go to sleep.

Anywhosit, there seems to be a lot of research and such behind this idea.
So, when y'all crawl or fall into bed tonight, remember to do those leg lifts, stretches and crunches.
I don't think I need to know about anything else you do.

Love, Laughter, Leglifts and Blessings,
La

A Wise Woman.....

A wise woman once told me...

Yeah, she was young but wise beyond her years.
Unfortunately, I did not listen to her. No...i foolishly went out and established what we will laughingly call relationships with a few menfolk.

*****she begins to sing******
To all the men I've loved before..


As you may have guessed,the course of true love (riiiiight) did not run smoothly.
And so for the last few years, I chose to pin my hopes for a male/female relationship(I am really starting to dislike that word) on these guys.
And for awhile these were...

But I found that they made you do some crazy stuff so I had to let them go...sniff...I really miss Jose.

Besides..a lot of my mornings were beginning with this thought....


So then, I went through a somewhat odd phase where.....

LOL...those were fun days! But I have finally worked through them.
Yes, I have sent my imaginary friends on their way although I have to say some of them were a lot of fun and one could really dance!
But they never seemed to want to go out much.

Sooooo....what, you ask, is the point of all this...Danged if I know.
Does there have to be a point?
Well...okay, if we must have a point then I suppose it is that...ooooo, how trite is this...Life goes on.

In the end, we have to deal with folks, male and female, and we will have relationships of some sort whether we want to or not.
And so now I am really happy with my "relationships" (dang that word) with all my internet Peeps!
Cause youse all "real" people....I think.